Tuff Tu Mus chasing eight straight wins

By Glenn Davis

The name Tuff Tu Mus says it all if you speak the national language of Vanuatu.

It means "bloody tough" and the David Vandyke-trained five-year-old will be out to prove he’s just that when the gelding resumes in the Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes at Doomben on Saturday.

Tuff Tu Mus has won his past seven starts - all in the metropolitan area – and is coming off a dominant victory over Captain Fenkel in an 1815 metre Benchmark race at Eagle Farm on August 2.

Vandyke regards Tuff Tu Mus as highly strung and often takes him to the races without starting him just to gain valuable race day experience.

“He’s emotionally fragile,” Vandyke said.

“It’s just the way he is but it’s only on race days.

“That’s why I take him to the races a lot and give him more barrier trials than usual to give him the experience of racing.”

Vandyke hopes to get a better handle on where Tuff Tu Mus heads during Queensland's Summer Racing Carnival after his assignment in the 1350 metre Recognition Stakes.

“I want to see how he goes on Saturday before we work out where to go with him,” Vandyke said.

“He’s eligible for the Magic Millions but there’s no 1800 metre race on which they use to have so I’ll wait and see where we can slot him in.”

Tuff Tu Mus is owned by John Fordham who Vandyke believes is one of the world’s biggest producers of Kava.

“John moves about living in Vanuatu and Australia and I believe he’s the world’s biggest producer of Kava,” Vandyke said.

Vandyke has given Tuff Tu Mus three barrier trials to prepare for his first-up assignment.

“It’s not unusual for me to give horses three barrier trials before they resume,” Vandyke said.

“He’s obviously a very good horse to win seven straight on city tracks but he’s got to go 1350 metres first-up.

“But, he has the ability to win first-up.”

Tuff Tu Muss' latest triumph put him in rare air as Vandyke has never had a galloper win seven straight on metropolitan tracks.

His previous best was his retired galloper Weona Smartone who won eight straight, but not all were metropolitan wins.

Vandyke’s former champion Alligator Blood managed five straight wins on metropolitan tracks and all were against some of the best sprinters in the country.

Sunshine Coast jockey Tiffani Brooker has won on the son of All Too Hard and will partner the five-year-old in his bid for eight straight city wins.